The Dragon's Son
by kid4jesus
Summary: When a mysterious woman only known as "Catherine" shows up in a small village, about to bear a child, the whole village is upset by what it is. A Half- human Half- dragon thing that shouldn't even exist. But what will happen to such a child? How will h


Author's Note: In no way do I take credit for the characters of Dragonheart. Dragonheart is the property of Universal Studios and the respected authors of the Dragonheart books. All other characters (Stephen, Catherine, Rawyn, etc.) are mine respectively.

**The Dragon's Son**

That day was a rather bleak one at most. The sky was grey, along with grey skies and rain pouring down upon the muddy earth. But this day was not your 'everyday' kind. Why? For upon the muddy dirt trail walked a young maiden. Her pale- blonde hair was long, reaching to her waist. It was matted against her wet tunic and her bangs matted against her head. Her grey eyes stared blanklessly at the world ahead of her, a sad stare that would break someone's heart if one gazed upon her. This woman was no older than most likely 18 years of age. She only had a name- the only thing that could identify her- Catherine. But even then...that wouldn't be much to go on.

Catherine held within her a child- not born yet, but a strange one. A baby with only half a heart. Half a human one anyway. The other side was...dragon. A half- hearted, half- breed thing that should not even exist. But Catherine had no idea what the child would look like. As she walked, she struggled for breath.The months had passed, and now the time of birth had come to pass. Catherine was weary and weak- pale from the amount of walking she'd been doing. She arrived upon a small village somewhere in England called 'Ashby'.

Upon walking in the small village, Catherine fell onto the dirt street, her shoes and clothes tattered and matted against her. The rain beated down upon her weak body as she lay sprawled on her back. A group of the village men found her and carried her to the home of the village wisewoman Agatha. Agatha's small hut was located at the end of the hamlet- a simple wattle- and- daub structure with a thatched roof and open doorway. It took the men several minutes to carry the preganant Catherine to the small hut. The whole group, who consisted of five men, could not all fit in the hut. They had to put the girl down and help her walk inside.

The inside of the house was dark, with an earthen floor. It was rather smoky, as Agatha had a cauldron of pottage boiling in the single hearth. Two straw mats lay in the house- one was Agatha's, the other the one she used for when she had to help a woman deliver her child. Herbs hung from the rafters. Agatha, aside from being the village healer and midwife, was also a sorceress in her own right. Instead of being persecuted by the Church, she was a devout Catholic woman. She cast her hand as she levitated a small bouqet of wormwood and lavender. She kneeled on the ground as she helped Catherine deliver her baby. Catherine lay screaming as she pushed forth for several hours to deliver her child.

What was born to Catherine was a small half- human child: it had patches of brown scale covering its forehead and cheeks, along with small brown wings and a spiked brown tail with a 'scissor' end. It was found to be a boy. The boy was the spitting image of his mother- he had her face and pale skin, though his hair was the same colour as his scales, along with yellow eyes. His eyes were large and sad as he sneezed and began to cry. But the poor Catherine was not to live long enough to see her son. She only lived long enough to tell Agatha her name and to ask to hold her baby. She was given her child, whom she pressed her pale lips against the babe's forehead. With one last kiss, she fell on the mat and died.

The child was immediately looked upon as a demon. He would have been killed, had the parish priest not stopped Agatha and the villagers from killing the boy. He told them that even if the infant was a demon, he could be cleansed of all his evils through a baptism. Such was carried out. Within the small church of Saint Agnes, the baby was baptised with the name 'Stephen', as he was born during the Feast of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Thus 'Stephen' as he was named would spend his life within the boundaries of Ashby- at least his early life.

Stephen's Life in Ashby

The boy's early years were spent in the monastery of Glockenspur. Ashby was a small village situated near the monastery, as Stephen came to learn. All he had left of his mother was strangely a golden necklace, inscribed with a coat of arms that the Half- dragon could not interpret. Whose it was was unknown to him. But Stephen had other things to think about. While in the monastery, Stephen was an acolyte- the parish priest of Ashby had decided that Stephen should become a priest for the Church. But from birth on, the boy showed off strange signs. One day, while bringing holy water, he sneezed. Fire shot from hisnostrils and singed the priest's robes. Father Mansel, who had now become Abbot, was frustrated with Stephen. The other monks- in- training just didn't plain like the boy. They often taunted the boy, picking on him in particular.

Stephen found that he escaped the worries of life through books. He found a book on dragons tucked within the backspaces of the library. With a tug, Stephen pulled it out of place and sat down to read. It spoke of a dragon who had shared his heart with a mortal prince centuries before, along with a dragon who was the son of this one- this dragon had shared his heart with a mortal stable boy. As he flipped through, Stephen began to wonder about them. Rumours by the other acolytes said that a dragon talon was located somewhere in the monastery. Stephen was curious, as any child would be. "I've got to find out more." "Maybe it will help me discover why I am like I am." he said.

Stephen had also known about the traces of a dungeon that was locked within the place. The lad snuck out there one night, all the unknowing. Being out after hours could land Stephen a flogging, as it was against the monastery's rules. The particular dungeon that the Half- dragon wished to enter was forbidden- going there would have him kicked out of the monastery. Stephen was willing to take the risks involved though. As he approached the dungeon that night, a group of knights approached the castle. "_I wonder what they could be_." he thought to himself. The boy rushed behind a corner, settling his wings close to his frame and wrapping his tail around his legs. He couldn't tell what the knights were conversing about. Father Mansel walked to them. "What reason do you men have for being here?" Mansel asked the men. "We've come for the scrolls of Brother Gilbert." they said. "Those scrolls are in my posession." Mansel said. "They've been passed down in our monastery for generations."

Stephen couldn't believe what he was hearing. Why would anyone want Brother Gilbert's scrolls? He ran his hand through hisbrown hair and stared again, breathing quietly. "Lord Rawyn of Morrington wants the scrolls." the knights responded. "There are rumours that a dragon still exists at this monastery." "A Half- breed that will be a lot of trouble if it finds out its origins." The Half- dragon was struck with surprise. But this surprise would turn into horrour. Mansel refused again. One of the knights came and shoved his sword into the monk. Blood rushed from Mansel's mouth as he fell to the ground. Stephen shrieked in his high voice- loud enough for the knights to see him. "There he is!" "Get him!"

The commotion was loud enough for the monks to hear. The whole monastery had arisen as the monks ran from their cells to see the commotion. Stephen was too scared to move. What the men wanted was to kill him, as far as he could tell. But the monks stood in front of the boy, preventing the knights from passing. The captain, Robert Barnes, halted them. "We'll be back." he said, ushering the men on their horses and to leave. But the monks were all the more angry at Stephen. They looked with anger upon the boy as they took Mansel's corspe to the chapel.

The orphan looked scared as he was suddenly grabbed and taken to the main chapel. Stephen was forced to stand as a group of the eldest monks stood at the altar, anger showing in their eyes and voices. "Stephen of Ashby!" "You have disgraced our order long enough!" "Now you are the cause of the death of our dear Brother Mansel." "What say you to this?" they demanded of the boy. Stephen struggled for words. "I...I didn't mean to." he said in a quivering voice. "Your sins have shamed us all." "Therefore, as vested in the Holy Right of our order, you are banished from this monastery." Stephen was crushed. The monastery had been the only place he'd ever known. Now he was to be forced onto the streets like a beggar.

The same night, the youth was given only what posessions he had and thrown out the monastery doors (literally). He began to wipe tears from his eyes as he sat under a tree and began to weep. He did so until he cried himself to sleep. The next morning, Stephen awoke to being watched by an old man. The man had a long white beard, along with long white hair and a wrinkled face. He wore a long blue robe tied with a rope belt and held a long wooden staff. Stephen was afraid and stood up abruptly, trembling. "Wh...what do you want with me?" he asked. "Do not be afraid young man." the old wizard said. "My name is Aidan." "I am a wandering wizard." "And who are you might I inquire?" Stephen shuddered in his speech. "S...Stephen." the Half- dragon responded. "Ah! The famous Half- dragon of Glockenspur." "I see." "Why are you out here boy?" "Why are you not with your parents?"

Stephen looked down at the ground. "I...I don't have any." "They're dead." Aidan looked with kindness upon the boy. "An orphan eh? Well, I'm sorry for you." Suddenly, a question popped into the wizard's head. "Lad- can you do magic?" Stephen didn't know what to say. He finally managed to get something out. "I guess so." "I can cast fire out of my hand at will." he said. "Show me then." Aidan commanded. The boy focused at a lone field and concentrated, holding his tiny hand out. Suddenly, a blast of fire burst from his hand and scorched the field, villagers shrieking themselves. Stephen and Aidan just stared at what the boy did.

Stephen's Life After the Meeting With the Wizard Aidan

Aidan took Stephen as his apprentice, to train the boy to control his magic. The basics began with fire magic. The lad had to learn to control his magic, which he eventually did. Stephen then was taught to learn ice spells- the other thing that dragons could do. Hard, but it was in the Half- dragon's blood. It took a year to master it, but Stephen did it. Within a year's time, he managed to cast ice magic. He learned potions and what not within that time as well. Aidan taught Stephen everything he knew, even though the boy was only 11. Thus, it was time for Stephen to leave and use his talents to help people. Stephen was just a boy.

Stephen was immediately heard of and summoned to the court of Lord Rawyn. "Are you Stephen of Ashby?" he asked. Stephen said yes. "Stephen, you are one of the only true wizards in England, along with the last of a noble race." "Your help is needed." "King Richard has requested that you come to his court and help us battle the barbarians who are invading the kingdom." "You are to be sent there tomorrow morn' with highest regard." Stephen was shocked. "R...Really?" he asked. "Yes." "Felicia! Agnes! Show the lad to his chambers!" The maids led the boy up the stairs and to his chambers for the night.

Stephen was surprised at the lavishness of the room. It was stone, with a four- poster bed and chest at the foot of the bed. Bright tapestries were hung upon the walls and a large hearth stood in the front of the room. The Half- dragon fell on the bed and sighed. With that, he fell into a deep sleep.

Meanwhile, Lord Rawyn was scheming. He lied. He had heard about Stephen's magic and the fact that he had a half- dragon heart. Rawyn also knew that Stephen, once giving the dragon side of him up by sharing his heart, would loose all his magic and become fully mortal. "I'll have that heart, no matter what." he said. Using a mercenary named John Holcroft, he hired the man to enter Stephen's room and steal the 11- year old's heart. With a knife, he entered the room. But Stephen was a light sleeper. He awoke and screamed. With a blast of ice magic, he froze the man. Suddenly, the whole castle went after the boy. Stephen had to learn to fly- it was the only way he'd escape the castle alive. With that, he began to flap. "The window's big enough- I might be able to fit through." He ran towards the window and dove out. He shrieked like a banshee as he plummeted to the ground before he finally began to fly.

Lord Rawyn was angry. "Find that wretch!" "I will have that heart!" He got on his horse and rode into the countryside. He vowed to find Stephen. Meanwhile, the Half- dragon was flying, never have enjoyed such time. "I wonder why I feel so akin to this." he said. "I feel as if I'm bound to flight." He couldn't really explain it. There was something about flight that made him feel at home.

He ended up in the mountains. While there, he landed and came upon a waterfall. "There's something here that seems so...familiar." "It's as if I know this place." He focused at the waterfall- there was a cave behind it. "What the...?" Stephen walked into the cave and looked around with his yellow eyes. As he was trying to remember, Lord Rawyn rode into the cave. "You stupid half- breed." "Give my your heart!" he said, grabbing his sword and charging at the lad. Stephen tried to fire some ice magic, but Rawyn deflected it from his sword. "You wretch." "My sword is enchanted." "You're dragon magic has no affect on me." he said with a snicker. Stephen cowered. "B...but how can that be?" he said. "Too bad for you brat." he said.

Stephen was afraid. But something in him arose. A new found power. As Rawyn about came down on the Half- dragon with his sword, Stephen held his hand up and fired a blast of fire at the man. Rawyn's sword broke as he stumbled backwards. Stephen fired the final blow that scorched Rawyn's body, only leaving ashes. The sword broke.

As Stephen got up, crying, a strange feeling came over him. It was night. He looked up at the sky and saw a strange formation of stars. Brother Mansel always told him that this constellation was called 'Draco'- the Dragons' Heaven. Stephen smiled. Something about it made him feel calm and happy. There was some connection that the lad had to it, but he just couldn't pinpoint it.

Stephen's Life After Defeating Rawyn

Stephen of Ashby made a home for himself in the cave (which was Draco's). People came to the boy for advice and asked the wizard for help when their nearby villages were plagued. King Richardeventually _did _call the Half- dragon to his court. It turned out that the boy was the son of Richard's daughter Catherine, who had become with child by the last dragon in existence, who had taken the form of a human to love her. No one knew how it came about, but she ran away, where it turned out that Stephen was born. His proof- the necklace of his mother. He could have become the next king, but Stephen declined. He was content being in the cave of his ancestors and helping people. "I'd rather help people than rule over them." Stephen said when he declined. When time permitted though, he always went back to Ashby and visited his mother's grave. Her final wish- for him to be proud of her- had been fulfilled. A mother's love for her child is something that lasts forever. And that makes all the difference.


End file.
